Beyond the Shore: To Seek After Sadness

William Bligh

Description:

William Bligh was born on 9 September 1754 in Plymouth colony in the Americas, where Bligh’s father, Francis, was serving as a customs officer. Bligh’s mother, Jane Pearce, was a widow who married Francis at the age of 40. The Bligh ancestral home of Tinten Manor is in St Tudy near Bodmin, Cornwall.

A seaman for life, Bligh was signed for the Imperial Navy at age seven, at a time when it was common to sign on a “young gentleman” simply to gain the experience at sea required for promotion. At age 16, he joined HMS Hunter as an able seaman, and was promoted to midshipman early in the following year. The following year he was transferred to the HMS Crescent, where he served for three years. Last year, he was selected by Captain Edward Riou for the position of Sailing Master (senior warrant officer responsible for navigation) aboard the Guardian.

Despite his skill in magic, combat, and sailing, Bligh is a mild-mannered man and his dedication and success with navigation doesn’t really translate to leadership. He scolds where other officers would have a man whipped, and whips where other officers would hang. He is an educated man, deeply interested in science, and convinced that good diet and sanitation are necessary for the welfare of the crew. He takes a great interest in his crew’s exercise, is very careful about the quality of the food, and insists that the ship be kept very clean.

He enjoys exploration for explorations own sake and happily accompanies any group going ashore on new islands when his role as ship’s navigator allows.

Opposition Schools: Enchantment, Necromancy, and Illusion. A specialize wizard cannot learn or cast spells belonging to schools that oppose his own chosen school.

Weapon and Armor Restrictions: Militant wizards may use the following weapons: Battle axe, bow (any), crossbow (any), dagger, javelin, sling, spear, sword (any), or warhammer. Like other wizards, they may not wear armor.

Magic Items: Wizards can use more magical items than any other characters. These include potions, rings, wands, rods, scrolls, and most miscellaneous magical items. A wizard can use a magical version of any weapon allowed to his class. Between their spells and magical items, wizards wield great power.

Wizened: Starting at 5th level, a wizard’s lifespan is extended by his constant exposure to the arcane. The wizard’s maximum lifespan increases by an amount equal to five times his level. He still suffers the effects of aging at the same rate as other members of his race. This can be further extended through the use of certain spells and magic items.

Magic Item Creation: Once he reaches 9th level, a wizard can pen magical scrolls and brew potions. He can construct more powerful magical items only after he has learned the appropriate spells (or works with someone who knows them). Your DM should consult the Spell Research and Magical Items sections of the DMG for more information.

Specialist wizards may memorize one additional spell per spell level, provided the spell selected belongs to the specialist’s school.

Specialists gain a bonus of +1 when making saving throws against spells of their own school. Specialists also inflict a –1 penalty to their victims’ saving throw attempts when casting a spell of their specialty school.

Specialist wizards gain a bonus of +15% when learning spells from their school, but suffer a penalty of –15% when learning spells from any other school. Specialists cannot learn spells belonging to an opposition school.

When a specialist wizard attempts to create a new spell through research, the spell is treated as if it were one level lower if it falls within the wizard’s specialty school.

At 8th level, the dimensionalist gains the power to disappear by stepping into a pocket dimension once per day. While in the pocket dimension, he is detectable only by spells that can discern dimensional openings and is immune to any attack, but he also has no way of knowing what’s happening in the place he left until he chooses to step back into the real world. The dimensionalist may remain for up to one hour before he is forced to exit and can take any actions he desires (sleeping, reading, drinking a potion, or so on) while inside. Note that the pocket dimension’s point of exit is always the exact same place the dimensionalist entered the dimension. Also, no spells that would allow the dimensionalist to leave the pocket without first reentering the real world can function in the extradimensional place, including teleport, dimension door, shadow walk, and similar enchantments. At 11th level, the dimensionalist may bring one other human-sized creature or an object weighing less than 500 pounds with him; at 14th level, he may bring up to five companions or an object weighing 1,500 pounds.

Armor: By means of this spell, the wizard creates a magical field of force that serves as if it were scale mail armor (AC 6). The armor spell does not hinder movement or prevent spellcasting, and adds no weight or encumbrance. It lasts until successfully dispelled or until the wearer sustains cumulative damage totaling greater than 8 points + 1 per level of the caster.